This three-week-old kitten was found by the Okanagan Humane Society injured on an Osoyoos farm with a severely infected eye. He was rushed to Kelowna’s Burtch Animal Hospital for emergency surgery. “We had to do enucleation, which is eye removal. The kitten had a corneal tear and the contents of the eye were actually coming out of the eye, so we had to do emergency surgery to make sure she was no longer in discomfort,” explained Dr Nav Dhaliwal from Burtch Animal Hospital. Okanagan Humane Society President Romany Runnalls says farms can often be a problem area for cats as litter is often not checked when they are left outside. “It’s a problem in rural areas in the Okanagan … It’s very expensive to spay and neuter cats once you get to three, four, five litters and all of a sudden you’re dealing with 30 cats. It’s too expensive for anyone to deal with, so the humane society often brings in kittens and adult cats to stop breeding,” explained Runnalls. This kitty in need is just one of many cats found by the Okanagan Humane Society in need of surgery and care, so they’re turning to the public for help. “So everything the Okanagan Humane Society can accomplish is completely dependent on donations from the public. We get a bit of a grant, but no municipal or state funding unfortunately. So donations definitely help us say yes and raise these animals when they desperately need it,” said Runnalls. “You can see how tiny it is. She is only about three weeks old. He’s just been weaned from his mom, he’s not really ready to be weaned yet, but we do have special kitten food and milk that we’ll be able to supplement with. Every little kitten like this deserves a home…we bring them in and want to find homes for every one we can.” You can donate to the Okanagan Humane Society to help kitties in need by visiting their website.
